Glenn Envisions the Grim Reality Had the GOP Shooter Been More Successful

June 21, 2017

WRITER

With nearly one hundred shots fired and 14 minutes of shooting at the GOP baseball practice last week, it's by the grace of God alone America doesn't find itself in a national crisis today. Had the shooter accomplished his mission and assassinated 30 congressman, the landscape of American history and the future would be drastically altered.

Over the weekend, Glenn reached out to security experts, fiction writers, businesspeople, lawmakers and congressmen to share their thoughts on what America would look like had we just experienced a week of burying 30 government representatives.

"I said, 'Look, I'm not asking you to tell me exactly. I'm asking you to tell me what your gut says, knowing the situation and your area of expertise, what do you think would have happened in a realistic scenario?'" Glenn revealed.

Based on the answers received, Glenn wove together a grim scenario. Here are a few of the predictions from the full list Glenn shared on radio Wednesday:

• Copycat shootings aimed at lawmakers and possibly members of the media

• Markets would close and the dollar would go into a free fall

• Violent leftists, such as Antifa would take their movements to an entirely new level in the streets of America

• Far right counter protests would happen in most metropolitan areas of the country

"I believe this was Divine Providence. I fully believe that God intervened in this. Perhaps those capital police officers, this was the day they were born to live. Perhaps the flight paths of the bullets were changed. More likely, vision and fear was intensified in him, as he squeezed the trigger. But I believe in, just as much as I did in the American Revolution, it was God that made that happen," Glenn said.

Enjoy the complimentary clip or read the transcript for details.

GLENN: It was exactly one week ago that James T. Hodgkinson opened fire on 30 Republican congressmen as they practiced for a charity baseball game in Virginia.

Witnesses say -- and police now confirm 50 to 100 shots were fired. It took nine minutes for the police to officially respond, after which they engaged Hodgkinson in a five-minute shoot-out. That means the assassin had 14 total minutes to get off as many shots as possible. And anyone can see the Republicans were sitting ducks.

In the end, after between 50 and 100 shots, 14 minutes and 30 targets, only five people were injured. Only one of them was injured critically and is recovering.

We know that the Majority House Whip Steve Scalise, you know, went under the knife several times. Had multiple surgeries over the weekend. But his condition has now been upgraded from critical to severe. And it wasn't for the truly heroic actions of two Capitol police officers who were there in the security detail, all of this would have been much, much worse. In fact, I'm going to go beyond that.

We spent a week talking about, wow, how lucky these congressmen were. How lucky they all were to -- to have the security there, to be able to minimize the damage that was received.

How do you explain how a shooter with two guns, who fired 50 to 100 rounds, firing 14 minutes into a crowd of 30 people not only didn't kill anyone, but only managed to injure five people, how do you explain that? We know now that the act was premeditated. A week ago, we didn't know if this guy just walked up and said to congressmen, "Hey, are these Republicans or Democrats?" And then just happened to have a gun with him.

No, no. We know now that this was premeditated. We know that he was an assassin because he had a list of all of the Republicans he was planning on killing.

The planning alone -- the level of planning that was involved -- he had the means. He had the motivation. He had the will. He was willing to give his life to kill as many Republican congressmen as he could.

How did this guy fail? Is it perhaps Divine Providence?

Now, to answer this, I want to -- I wanted to come up with a way to show you what I think we need to imagine here. We need to see in our mind's eye what the world would be like today, a week later, as we were finally putting the last coffin in the ground.

What would our country look like during the next hours, the next few days, and the next weeks? What would be happening today, if he would have been successful in taking out 30 Republican congressmen?

So here's what I did. Over the weekend, I reached out to security experts. I wrote out to a to a few fiction writers. A few businesspeople. Some actual lawmakers. Some senators. Some congressmen. And I said, "Look, I'm not asking you to tell me exactly. I'm asking you to tell me what your gut says, knowing the situation and your area of expertise. What do you think would have happened in a realistic scenario?"

I have taken them and folded them all into one cohesive story line, to show you what these many experts all believe, in their area of expertise, would have happened.

The next day, a week from tomorrow, the opening bell -- or, a week last Thursday. The opening bell for the New York Stock Exchange would be set to ring. But the futures would be down so far, that we probably would have closed it and waited until the following Monday. So the stock exchange, just like it did on 9/11, we hold it until the following Monday, until we can get our sea legs.

When we rang the bell Monday morning, we needed to have a rally in the stock market. The president probably would have said, "Go spend money."

The futures would be way down, leading into the open as the rest of the world would believe America had finally cracked. Within five minutes, experts tell me they think the New York Stock Exchange, the circuit breakers would have been tripped, and the markets would have been shut down. They would have tried to open those circuit breakers two more times to open the markets, only to have even bigger drops as people all rushed in to get out of the stock market.

They would have then announced some Orwellian week of mourning that was going to be announced. Would give the markets a chance to remain closed until the following week. Behind the scenes, the Federal Reserve would enact massive, highly secretive futures manipulation to help inject stability.

This is what happened after 9/11. This is what has happened before the Great Depression. They close the market. They get everybody who has big money and say, "You have to get in on these futures."

As the markets remain closed, the dollar would go into a free fall. Countries owning large amounts of US debt would begin to contemplate dumping their sovereign funds and their dollar reserves.

In the end, we believe they would decided to wait and see if things would worsen for the United States in the next few weeks. Partisan media would begin to stir the pot.

In response, the violent leftists, such as Antifa would take their movements to an entirely new level. Far right counterprotests would engage them in the streets. And this would happen in most metropolitan areas of the country. But the rest of the country would be frightened watching it and not know what to do.

Then copycat attacks would begin on more local and federal lawmakers, possibly on the media as well. Congress would then go into action to decide, we need to update the Patriot Act. A new Patriot Act-style law, that would enable the NSA to go after Americans planning riots and attacks. Hate speech laws would crack down on Facebook and Twitter.

The American president would make a speech calling for quick action. We need to act right now on health care reform, tax reform, and the balance of the Trump agenda. We need to send a message to the country and to those who oppose that the Donald J. Trump administration will not be deterred. We also need to provide security detail for every member of Congress and/or a concealed carry permit for every member of Congress.

Special elections would be called to replace the 30 congressmen that were killed so all of the legislation could be fast-tracked. Rioting would intensify. Polling areas would be threatened with firebombing if they opened as scheduled. Martial law would be declared to declare peaceful elections.

Countries such as China, Brazil, and India, all the BRICS nations would see their chance and begin dumping US sovereign funds. Worse case scenario, the dollar would nose dive. Martial law would stay in effect until the economy would stabilize. Our enemies abroad would look to capitalize on our weakness and the preoccupation with our internal problems. Iran would close the Straits of Hormuz, China, mobilizing on the North Korean border, and Russia would finally fully invade the Ukraine.

This -- this, the experts that I went to, all agreed would happen in the first month. Some have said that if Hodgkins (sic) would have been successful, it would have created the largest social and political shift in modern history. I believe that's true. But in 14 minutes, with two guns, 50 to 100 shots, a plan, rehearsal in the woods, a kill list, how was it he was only able to shoot and hit five people and not kill any of them?

We were at the doorstep to what could have been the largest flash point in our nation's history. What happened a week ago?

Most of us don't even care a week later. Most of us now look at this as old news. What we were all talking about last week and we were all saying we have to have more tolerance for one -- that's long forgotten. That happened before last weekend.

I believe this was Divine Providence. I fully believe that God intervened in this. Perhaps those capital police officers, this was the -- this was the day they were born to live. Perhaps the flight paths of the bullets were changed. More likely, vision and fear was intensified in him, as he squeezed the trigger.

But I believe in, just as much as I did in the American Revolution, it was God that made that happen. I believe, in many ways, as Thomas Jefferson said, when I realized that God is just, I tremble for my country because we wouldn't stop slavery. We were not worthy of his divine protection while we were enslaving people. We're not really worthy of his divine providence and protection now. But for some reason, I am very grateful that he gave it to us last week, after looking at what could have been happening today.

'Rage against the dying of the light': Charlie Kirk lived that mandate

PHILL MAGAKOE / Contributor | Getty Images

Kirk’s tragic death challenges us to rise above fear and anger, to rebuild bridges where others build walls, and to fight for the America he believed in.

I’ve only felt this weight once before. It was 2001, just as my radio show was about to begin. The World Trade Center fell, and I was called to speak immediately. I spent the day and night by my bedside, praying for words that could meet the moment.

Yesterday, I found myself in the same position. September 11, 2025. The assassination of Charlie Kirk. A friend. A warrior for truth.

Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins.

Moments like this make words feel inadequate. Yet sometimes, words from another time speak directly to our own. In 1947, Dylan Thomas, watching his father slip toward death, penned lines that now resonate far beyond his own grief:

Do not go gentle into that good night. / Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Thomas was pleading for his father to resist the impending darkness of death. But those words have become a mandate for all of us: Do not surrender. Do not bow to shadows. Even when the battle feels unwinnable.

Charlie Kirk lived that mandate. He knew the cost of speaking unpopular truths. He knew the fury of those who sought to silence him. And yet he pressed on. In his life, he embodied a defiance rooted not in anger, but in principle.

Picking up his torch

Washington, Jefferson, Adams — our history was started by men who raged against an empire, knowing the gallows might await. Lincoln raged against slavery. Martin Luther King Jr. raged against segregation. Every generation faces a call to resist surrender.

It is our turn. Charlie’s violent death feels like a knockout punch. Yet if his life meant anything, it means this: Silence in the face of darkness is not an option.

He did not go gently. He spoke. He challenged. He stood. And now, the mantle falls to us. To me. To you. To every American.

We cannot drift into the shadows. We cannot sit quietly while freedom fades. This is our moment to rage — not with hatred, not with vengeance, but with courage. Rage against lies, against apathy, against the despair that tells us to do nothing. Because there is always something you can do.

Even small acts — defiance, faith, kindness — are light in the darkness. Reaching out to those who mourn. Speaking truth in a world drowning in deceit. These are the flames that hold back the night. Charlie carried that torch. He laid it down yesterday. It is ours to pick up.

The light may dim, but it always does before dawn. Commit today: I will not sleep as freedom fades. I will not retreat as darkness encroaches. I will not be silent as evil forces claim dominion. I have no king but Christ. And I know whom I serve, as did Charlie.

Two turning points, decades apart

On Wednesday, the world changed again. Two tragedies, separated by decades, bound by the same question: Who are we? Is this worth saving? What kind of people will we choose to be?

Imagine a world where more of us choose to be peacemakers. Not passive, not silent, but builders of bridges where others erect walls. Respect and listening transform even the bitterest of foes. Charlie Kirk embodied this principle.

He did not strike the weak; he challenged the powerful. He reached across divides of politics, culture, and faith. He changed hearts. He sparked healing. And healing is what our nation needs.

At the center of all this is one truth: Every person is a child of God, deserving of dignity. Change will not happen in Washington or on social media. It begins at home, where loneliness and isolation threaten our souls. Family is the antidote. Imperfect, yes — but still the strongest source of stability and meaning.

Mark Wilson / Staff | Getty Images

Forgiveness, fidelity, faithfulness, and honor are not dusty words. They are the foundation of civilization. Strong families produce strong citizens. And today, Charlie’s family mourns. They must become our family too. We must stand as guardians of his legacy, shining examples of the courage he lived by.

A time for courage

I knew Charlie. I know how he would want us to respond: Multiply his courage. Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins. Out of darkness, great and glorious things will sprout — but we must be worthy of them.

Charlie Kirk lived defiantly. He stood in truth. He changed the world. And now, his torch is in our hands. Rage, not in violence, but in unwavering pursuit of truth and goodness. Rage against the dying of the light.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn Beck resurrects the 9-12 Project to support Charlie Kirk's family

Glenn Beck is once again calling on his loyal listeners and viewers to come together and channel the same unity and purpose that defined the historic 9-12 Project. That movement, born in the wake of national challenges, brought millions together to revive core values of faith, hope, and charity.

Glenn created the original 9-12 Project in early 2009 to bring Americans back to where they were in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. In those moments, we weren't Democrats and Republicans, conservative or liberal, Red States or Blue States, we were united as one, as America. The original 9-12 Project aimed to root America back in the founding principles of this country that united us during those darkest of days.

This new initiative draws directly from that legacy, focusing on supporting the family of Charlie Kirk in these dark days following his tragic murder.

The revival of the 9-12 Project aims to secure the long-term well-being of Charlie Kirk's wife and children. All donations will go straight to meeting their immediate and future needs. If the family deems the funds surplus to their requirements, Charlie's wife has the option to redirect them toward the vital work of Turning Point USA.

This campaign is more than just financial support—it's a profound gesture of appreciation for Kirk's tireless dedication to the cause of liberty. It embodies the unbreakable bond of our community, proving that when we stand united, we can make a real difference.
Glenn Beck invites you to join this effort. Show your solidarity by donating today and honoring Charlie Kirk and his family in this meaningful way.

You can learn more about the 9-12 Project and donate HERE

The critical difference: Rights from the Creator, not the state

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

When politicians claim that rights flow from the state, they pave the way for tyranny.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) recently delivered a lecture that should alarm every American. During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, he argued that believing rights come from a Creator rather than government is the same belief held by Iran’s theocratic regime.

Kaine claimed that the principles underpinning Iran’s dictatorship — the same regime that persecutes Sunnis, Jews, Christians, and other minorities — are also the principles enshrined in our Declaration of Independence.

In America, rights belong to the individual. In Iran, rights serve the state.

That claim exposes either a profound misunderstanding or a reckless indifference to America’s founding. Rights do not come from government. They never did. They come from the Creator, as the Declaration of Independence proclaims without qualification. Jefferson didn’t hedge. Rights are unalienable — built into every human being.

This foundation stands worlds apart from Iran. Its leaders invoke God but grant rights only through clerical interpretation. Freedom of speech, property, religion, and even life itself depend on obedience to the ruling clerics. Step outside their dictates, and those so-called rights vanish.

This is not a trivial difference. It is the essence of liberty versus tyranny. In America, rights belong to the individual. The government’s role is to secure them, not define them. In Iran, rights serve the state. They empower rulers, not the people.

From Muhammad to Marx

The same confusion applies to Marxist regimes. The Soviet Union’s constitutions promised citizens rights — work, health care, education, freedom of speech — but always with fine print. If you spoke out against the party, those rights evaporated. If you practiced religion openly, you were charged with treason. Property and voting were allowed as long as they were filtered and controlled by the state — and could be revoked at any moment. Rights were conditional, granted through obedience.

Kaine seems to be advocating a similar approach — whether consciously or not. By claiming that natural rights are somehow comparable to sharia law, he ignores the critical distinction between inherent rights and conditional privileges. He dismisses the very principle that made America a beacon of freedom.

Jefferson and the founders understood this clearly. “We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights,” they wrote. No government, no cleric, no king can revoke them. They exist by virtue of humanity itself. The government exists to protect them, not ration them.

This is not a theological quibble. It is the entire basis of our government. Confuse the source of rights, and tyranny hides behind piety or ideology. The people are disempowered. Clerics, bureaucrats, or politicians become arbiters of what rights citizens may enjoy.

John Greim / Contributor | Getty Images

Gifts from God, not the state

Kaine’s statement reflects either a profound ignorance of this principle or an ideological bias that favors state power over individual liberty. Either way, Americans must recognize the danger. Understanding the origin of rights is not academic — it is the difference between freedom and submission, between the American experiment and theocratic or totalitarian rule.

Rights are not gifts from the state. They are gifts from God, secured by reason, protected by law, and defended by the people. Every American must understand this. Because when rights come from government instead of the Creator, freedom disappears.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

POLL: Is Gen Z’s anger over housing driving them toward socialism?

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A recent poll conducted by Justin Haskins, a long-time friend of the show, has uncovered alarming trends among young Americans aged 18-39, revealing a generation grappling with deep frustrations over economic hardships, housing affordability, and a perceived rigged system that favors the wealthy, corporations, and older generations. While nearly half of these likely voters approve of President Trump, seeing him as an anti-establishment figure, over 70% support nationalizing major industries, such as healthcare, energy, and big tech, to promote "equity." Shockingly, 53% want a democratic socialist to win the 2028 presidential election, including a third of Trump voters and conservatives in this age group. Many cite skyrocketing housing costs, unfair taxation on the middle class, and a sense of being "stuck" or in crisis as driving forces, with 62% believing the economy is tilted against them and 55% backing laws to confiscate "excess wealth" like second homes or luxury items to help first-time buyers.

This blend of Trump support and socialist leanings suggests a volatile mix: admiration for disruptors who challenge the status quo, coupled with a desire for radical redistribution to address personal struggles. Yet, it raises profound questions about the roots of this discontent—Is it a failure of education on history's lessons about socialism's failures? Media indoctrination? Or genuine systemic barriers? And what does it portend for the nation’s trajectory—greater division, a shift toward authoritarian policies, or an opportunity for renewal through timeless values like hard work and individual responsibility?

Glenn wants to know what YOU think: Where do Gen Z's socialist sympathies come from? What does it mean for the future of America? Make your voice heard in the poll below:

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism comes from perceived economic frustrations like unaffordable housing and a rigged system favoring the wealthy and corporations?

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism, including many Trump supporters, is due to a lack of education about the historical failures of socialist systems?

Do you think that these poll results indicate a growing generational divide that could lead to more political instability and authoritarian tendencies in America's future?

Do you think that this poll implies that America's long-term stability relies on older generations teaching Gen Z and younger to prioritize self-reliance, free-market ideals, and personal accountability?

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